SAN ANTONIO – A “significant release” of mercaptan occurred on San Antonio’s South Side on Wednesday morning, prompting several 911 calls from people believing it was a natural gas leak.
Mercaptan is a chemical used to give natural gas its distinctive odor, since natural gas is odorless, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.
Recommended Videos
Despite the smell, SAFD said “it is not harmful on its own.”
“The toxic levels are found when exposure is (too) concentrated, high levels in enclosed spaces… This is an open air release that was contained and dissipated into the air,” an SAFD spokesperson said.
The release occurred earlier Wednesday morning. However, several KSAT viewers reported they still smelled the odor throughout the city, including near Lackland Air Force Base.
SAFD said 911 operators received multiple calls about the smell.
There is no danger to the public, SAFD said.
KSAT reached out to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, which confirmed there was a strong odor of gas near the base. JBSA-Lackland will return to normal operations.
CPS Energy is asking anyone who continues to smell gas to call the utility at 210-353-HELP (4357). If customers think they smell gas in their homes, they should leave their house immediately and call CPS Energy or 911.
“We have teams ready to answer each call, but because of the high volume of reports due to the neighboring utility’s odorant leak, it might take some time for a CPS Energy gas technician to respond,” CPS Energy said.
West Texas Gas provided the following statement to KSAT on Wednesday afternoon:
“This morning, while performing routine maintenance, West Texas Gas (WTG) experienced an unintended release of mercaptan odorant from a bulk holding tank at one of our San Antonio facilities. The release was not the result of a natural gas leak, but of a mercaptan odorant mixture commonly used to odorize natural gas to give it a distinctive odor for safety purposes.
The vicinity was deemed safe and no natural gas was released during the incident. However, the odor may be noticeable across parts of San Antonio into the evening. If you suspect a natural gas leak in your area, we urge you to contact your local utility provider or call 911 out of an abundance of caution.
We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.”
West Texas Gas